Reigning Heineken Cup champions Munster will be first into the action when they launch the defence of their title with an opening night Round 1 clash with tournament newcomers Montauban at a revamped Thomond Park on Friday, 10 October.

And treble champions and 2008 finalists Toulouse will close the first weekend’s matches when they host fellow former winners Bath Rugby in match No 12 on Sunday, 12 October, Toulouse staging the match at the 37,000 capacity Le Stadium.

Montauban – who will become the 55th team to play Heineken Cup rugby – will immediately go under the spotlight against the 2006 and 2008 champions with Montauban’s all-French clash with ASM Clermont Auvergne in Round 2 making Stade de Sapiac the 83rd venue to stage tournament action.

“Montauban will be a very interesting – and difficult – start for us and, at the moment, we don’t know that much about them,” said Tony McGahan, Munster’s new Director of Coaching. “However, they have done superbly well in the Top 14 in order to qualify for the Heineken Cup for the first time and there is absolutely no way we will be under-estimating them.”

Leinster will open their campaign with a trip to Edinburgh on Saturday October 11th with the game kicking off at 1:35 p.m. Stade Francais provide the opposition for Ulster in Ravenhill at 3:30 p.m. the same day. Leinster will be at home the following week with London Wasps the visitors while Ulster will be away to Harlequins with Munster travelling to Sale on the Sunday.

Heineken Cup Pools 2008/09
POOL 1: Munster, Sale Sharks, ASM Clermont Auvergne, Montauban
POOL 2: London Wasps, Leinster, Castres Olympique, Edinburgh
POOL 3: Leicester Tigers, Perpignan, Ospreys, Benetton Treviso
POOL 4: Stade Fran?ais Paris, Llanelli Scarlets, Ulster Rugby, Harlequins
POOL 5: Toulouse, Bath Rugby, Newport Gwent Dragons, Glasgow Warriors
POOL 6: Biarritz Olympique, Gloucester Rugby, Cardiff Blues, Rugby Calvisano

 

ROUND 1

FRIDAY 10 OCTOBER, 2008

Pool 1 Munster v Montauban    20.00 Sky Sports / RTE*
Pool 3 Perpignan v Benetton Treviso   21.00 Canal+ Sport / Sky Italia

SATURDAY 11 OCTOBER, 2008

Pool 1 ASM Clermont Auvergne v Sale Sharks  14.35 Canal+ / Sky Sports**
Pool 2 Edinburgh v Leinster    13.35 Sky Sports / RTE* / Sky Italia
Pool 4 Llanelli Scarlets v Harlequins   15.30 S4C* / Sky Sports**
Pool 4 Ulster Rugby v Stade Fran?ais Paris  15.30 Sky Sports / FR2
Pool 5 Newport Gwent Dragons v Glasgow Warriors 14.30
Pool 6 Gloucester Rugby v Biarritz Olympique  17.30 Sky Sports / Canal+ Sport
Pool 6 Rugby Calvisano v Cardiff Blues   14.35 Sky Italia / Sky Sports**

SUNDAY 12 OCTOBER, 2008

Pool 2 London Wasps v Castres Olympique  15.00
Pool 3 Leicester Tigers v Ospreys   13.00 Sky Sports
Pool 5 Toulouse v Bath Rugby   16.00 FR2 / Sky Sports / Sky Italia

 

ROUND 2

FRIDAY 17 OCTOBER, 2008

Pool 5 Glasgow Warriors v Toulouse   20.00 Sky Sports / Canal+ Sport / Sky Italia

SATURDAY 18 OCTOBER, 2008

Pool 2 Castres Olympique v Edinburgh   18.30 Canal+ Sport / Sky Sports**
Pool 2 Leinster v London Wasps    17.30 Sky Sports / RTE* / Sky Italia
Pool 3 Benetton Treviso v Leicester Tigers  14.35 Sky Italia / Sky Sports**
Pool 3 Ospreys v Perpignan    15.30 Sky Sports / FR2
Pool 4 Stade Fran?ais Paris v Llanelli Scarlets  14.35 Canal+ / Sky Sports
Pool 4 Harlequins v Ulster Rugby    15.00
Pool 6 Biarritz Olympique v Rugby Calvisano  18.00

SUNDAY 19 OCTOBER, 2008

Pool 1 Montauban v ASM Clermont Auvergne  16.00 FR2
Pool 1 Sale Sharks v Munster    13.00 Sky Sports / Sport+ / RTE*
Pool 5 Bath Rugby v Newport Gwent Dragons  13.00 S4C* / Sky Sports**
Pool 6 Cardiff Blues v Gloucester Rugby   15.00 Sky Sports / Sky Italia

ROUND 3

FRIDAY 5 DECEMBER, 2008

Pool 1 Sale Sharks v Montauban    19.45
Pool 2 Edinburgh v London Wasps   19.30
Pool 4 Ulster Rugby v Llanelli Scarlets   20.00 Sky Sports
Pool 6 Cardiff Blues v Biarritz Olympique  20.00 S4C*/Sky Sports**/Canal+ Sport / Sky Italia

 

Pool 2 Leinster v Castres Olympique   13.35 Sky Sports / Sport+ / RTE*
Pool 3 Ospreys v Benetton Treviso   15.00
Pool 3 Leicester Tigers v Perpignan   17.30 Sky Sports / Canal+ Sport
Pool 4 Stade Fran?ais Paris v Harlequins  16.30 FR 2 / Sky Sports
Pool 5 Toulouse v Newport Gwent Dragons  14.35 Canal+ / Sky Sports** / Sky Italia
Pool 6 Rugby Calvisano v Gloucester Rugby  14.35 Sky Italia / Sky Sports**

SUNDAY 7 DECEMBER, 2008

Pool 1 ASM Clermont Auvergne v Munster  16.00 FR 2 / Sky Sports / RTE*
Pool 5 Bath Rugby v Glasgow Warriors   13.00 Sky Sports / Sky Italia

ROUND 4

FRIDAY 12 DECEMBER, 2008

Pool 2 Castres Olympique v Leinster   21.00 Canal+ Sport / Sky Sports / RTE*
Pool 4 Llanelli Scarlets v Ulster Rugby   20.00 S4C* / Sky Sports** / Sky Italia

SATURDAY 13 DECEMBER, 2008

Pool 1 Munster v ASM Clermont Auvergne  15.30 Sky Sports / FR2 / RTE*
Pool 1 Montauban v Sale Sharks    19.00
Pool 3 Benetton Treviso v Ospreys   14.35 Sky Italia / Sky Sports**
Pool 4 Harlequins v Stade Fran?ais Paris  17.30 Sky Sports / Canal+Sport
Pool 5 Newport Gwent Dragons v Toulouse  14.30
Pool 6 Biarritz Olympique v Cardiff Blues  14.35 Canal+ / Sky Sports
Pool 6 Gloucester Rugby v Rugby Calvisano  15.00

SUNDAY 14 DECEMBER, 2008

Pool 2 London Wasps v Edinburgh   13.00 Sky Sports / Sky Italia
Pool 3 Perpignan v Leicester Tigers   16.00 FR 2 / Sky Sports / Sky Italia
Pool 5 Glasgow Warriors v Bath Rugby   14.00

* Denotes delayed coverage.

SATURDAY 6 DECEMBER, 2008